Villagers appeal for irrigation equipment

FARMERS at Madhodha Irrigation Scheme in Mhondoro-Ngezi, Mashonaland West are appealing to Government and donors for irrigation equipment as the one they are using is now obsolete.

The local community also appealed for the introduction of the Command Fisheries programme as they have one of the largest dams in the province.

In an interview with The Herald yesterday, the irrigation scheme’s treasurer Mr Godfrey Sanhewe said their equipment had outlived its lifespan.

“The facilities we are using are now old, they now require urgent replacement, we inherited them from former commercial white

30pc discount for rates defaulters in Chinhoyi THE Municipality of Chinhoyi has offered to discount 30 percent on all arrears owed by residents and ratepayers to encourage them to pay up, an official has said.

In an interview, council spokesperson Mr Tichaona Mlauzi said the local authority was owed $38,2 million of which $15,1 million was for estates accounts while $23,1 million was for rates, water and other services rendered by council. He said council has since introduced an arrears clearance promotion, which began on May 24 and will end on June 30. “We have previously been encouraging our stakeholders to pay the current bill and any amount of arrears owing. However, due to economic challenges, this time we have gone a step further by taking 30 percent off any amount paid towards clearing arrears,” he said.

Chinhoyi recently had its budget approved on condition that 30 percent of the budget goes towards service delivery. farmers at the height of the land reform programme in early 2000,” he said.

Mr Sanhewe said despite the farmers having been endowed with one of the largest dams in the province, Madhodha Dam, they were not operating at full capacity due to the ageing equipment.

“Our irrigation scheme has three blocks each with at least 150 hectares sourcing water from Madhodha Dam, but all those hectares are not being fully utilised due to ageing equipment,” he said.

“The resuscitation of equipment is very expensive.

“Although we have vast potential. Therefore we plead to Government to assist us as it will translate into improved agricultural

Karoi to begin road rehab exercise KAROI Town Council will start sprucing up and rehabilitating roads in its jurisdiction next month following allocation of funds by the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration.

According to the council’s liaison officer, Mr Precious Nharara, Karoi will work on a number of roads that were affected by heavy rains in the past rainy season.

Some of the roads had also outlived their lifespan.

“We have secured a contractor to start working on a number of roads within the vicinity of Karoi Town Council and we hope to work hard so as to complete our 2018 plans,” he said.

Karoi has engaged Japnik Investments for the roads rehabilitation programme.

“Through the ZINARA allocations, we have managed to complement our own revenue for the rehabilitation of the roads which were in dire need of face lifting,” he said. production.”

Mr Sanhewe said the Madhodha community was also appealing to Government to introduce Command Fisheries programme in their community.

“We are also appealing for Command Fisheries Scheme here, it can also change our livelihoods as we have a dam that is always full throughout the year,” he said.

Mr Sanhewe said they were hopeful that it would benefit from Government following its remarks sometime in March that the country was expecting to receive 80 centre pivots from Spain in the next two months.

Government also said it was repairing irrigation facilities for schemes and supplying the machinery, which is required.

Trust uses sport to fight child marriages, GBV A CHRISTIAN registered trust based in Bindura, Courtship and Marriage Foundation, has resorted to using sport to fight child marriages and gender based violence.

Speaking on the sidelines of a tournament held at Hermain Gmeiner High School in the mining town last Friday, the foundation’s director Reverend Herbert Mazonde said the tournament provided a platform where men fellowshipped and steamed off from pressures of life, thereby reducing the chances of them becoming violent or irresponsible to their families and communities.

“This tournament is aimed at appraising men on gender equality awareness and gender-based violence realities.

“It encourages them to build strong marriages and relationships as strong families make a strong community,” he said.